Charlotte airport and other cities see flight delays during government shutdown
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Federal shutdown triggers FAA furloughs and reduces air traffic controller staffing.
- Charlotte Douglas monitors delays, reported 261 delays Monday and 105 Tuesday.
- Airport advises passengers to arrive early and contact airlines for real-time updates.
Charlotte’s airport is monitoring flight delays while the federal government shutdown causes air traffic controller shortages at large terminals around the country.
The federal government shutdown on Oct. 1 impacted institutions and organizations around the nation and in Charlotte, although several local officials expected minimal impact at the time. Major airports serving the New York, Denver, Phoenix and Los Angeles regions reported delays Monday night due to a shortage of air traffic controllers, The New York Times and Washington Post reported.
But Charlotte Douglas International Airport is not anticipating any immediate impact to its operations, according to a statement sent to The Charlotte Observer.
CLT had 261 flights delayed on Monday and 133 on Tuesday, according to FlightAware, which provides real-time online flight information. Two flights were canceled on both days.
Around 4 p.m. Wednesday, 64 were delayed at CLT and there were no cancellations. The airport said it did not have information for comparisons before the shutdown.
Some parts of the U.S. Department of Transportation, which houses the Federal Aviation Administration, are currently shut down or furloughed due to a lapse in funding, according to the agency’s website. When contacted by The Charlotte Observer, public affairs officials with the FAA said they are not working in the office due to the lapse in funding and would have limited communications.
The Charlotte airport is closely monitoring the situation and communicating with its federal partners, the airport said.
As always, CLT urges passengers to be inside the terminal two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. The airport added that passengers should contact their airline directly for flight updates.
Charlotte Douglas is the sixth-busiest airport in the world for takeoffs and landings.
American Airlines is the dominant carrier at CLT, accounting for about 90% of the traffic. An airline spokesperson was not immediately available to comment about the delays.
This story was originally published October 7, 2025 at 1:25 PM.
